Trump slams UN failures, warns Europe

Global body scolded over wars, migration

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US President Donald Trump blasted the United Nations and Europe on his return to the world body on Tuesday, warning that migration is sending Western nations “to hell” and dismissing climate change as a “con job.”

In a blistering speech during his first UN General Assembly appearance since his White House comeback, Mr Trump also accused the world body of failing to help him as he tried to broker peace deals, including in Gaza and Ukraine.

“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” asked Mr Trump in a wide-ranging speech lasting nearly an hour. “It has such tremendous potential, but it's not even coming close to living up to that.”

Mr Trump's first speech to the UN back in 2018 saw fellow leaders laughing at the Republican, but this time his full-frontal attack on the global organisation and US allies was received in near total silence.

The 79-year-old’s litany of complaints even extended to a broken escalator and teleprompter at the New York headquarters of the UN.

After the speech, he met with Ukraine’s wartime leader Volodymyr Zelensky and caused surprise by announcing a short while later that he now thought Kyiv could regain all its territory invaded by Russia — a complete shift from his previous statements.